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Thread: Council houses

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    @hibs.net private member bingo70's Avatar
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    Council houses

    Was wondering if anyone had much experience with the council and how quickly they turn around empty council houses?

    My neighbour recently sadly passed away (she was a fair age) and the house is lying empty, it's a 4 in a block and hers is the only council owned property. Anybody have any idea how long the property is likely to remain empty? A couple of weeks/months?

    Apologies if it is heartless to ask but Id be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit anxious about who could be put in there as we've had issues with bad neighbours before.


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  3. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by bingo70 View Post
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    Was wondering if anyone had much experience with the council and how quickly they turn around empty council houses?

    My neighbour recently sadly passed away (she was a fair age) and the house is lying empty, it's a 4 in a block and hers is the only council owned property. Anybody have any idea how long the property is likely to remain empty? A couple of weeks/months?

    Apologies if it is heartless to ask but Id be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit anxious about who could be put in there as we've had issues with bad neighbours before.
    The council are heartless *******s, we were greiving the loss of my Dad (one month after my Mum died) and just over a week after his passing the council were on the phone telling us to get the house cleared by a certain date or they will change the locks. We managed it & true to their word, the locks were changed. A week after that there was a new tenant in place.

    I cant exactly remember but Im sure the new tenant was in around two weeks of my Dads passing.

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    Coaching Staff HUTCHYHIBBY's Avatar
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    We've only got one council tenant in our stair, the sooner the drug dealing bitch gets evicted the better.

  5. #4
    @hibs.net private member snooky's Avatar
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    IIRC, when my mother-in-law died 10 years ago, I'm sure the Council gave us 2 weeks to clear the place.
    BTW, that was in East Lothian. Other Councils may have different rules.

  6. #5
    @hibs.net private member snooky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by happyhibbie View Post
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    The council are heartless *******s, we were greiving the loss of my Dad (one month after my Mum died) and just over a week after his passing the council were on the phone telling us to get the house cleared by a certain date or they will change the locks. We managed it & true to their word, the locks were changed. A week after that there was a new tenant in place.

    I cant exactly remember but Im sure the new tenant was in around two weeks of my Dads passing.
    I think giving relatives up to a month would be fair, given that a week to 10 days can be taken up just organising the funeral, etc.
    Unfortunately, I don't make the rules and I am not a Cooncillor.

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by HUTCHYHIBBY View Post
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    We've only got one council tenant in our stair, the sooner the drug dealing bitch gets evicted the better.
    Do a Lee Wallace

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    Coaching Staff HUTCHYHIBBY's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beensaidbefore View Post
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    Do a Lee Wallace
    That's been done on numerous occasions.

  9. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by bingo70 View Post
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    Was wondering if anyone had much experience with the council and how quickly they turn around empty council houses?

    My neighbour recently sadly passed away (she was a fair age) and the house is lying empty, it's a 4 in a block and hers is the only council owned property. Anybody have any idea how long the property is likely to remain empty? A couple of weeks/months?

    Apologies if it is heartless to ask but Id be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit anxious about who could be put in there as we've had issues with bad neighbours before.
    Lady upstairs from me was a council tenant. She died in early November last year (overdose) and the house has been occupied again since just before Christmas.
    PM Awards General Poster of The Year 2015, 2016, 2017. Probably robbed in other years

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    @hibs.net private member bingo70's Avatar
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    Thanks for the replies folks, sounds like i won't have long to wait to meet my New neighbours.

    Hope the thread didn't come across as looking down my nose at council tenants as I know there's thousands of good council tenants, i do some work with social housing though so tend to see the worst end of the spectrum which has got me ****ting myself a bit.

  11. #10
    Private Members Prediction League Winner Hibrandenburg's Avatar
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    Playing devil's advocate here, but every house that gets filled quickly means that potentially another homeless person is off the street.

  12. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by snooky View Post
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    I think giving relatives up to a month would be fair, given that a week to 10 days can be taken up just organising the funeral, etc.
    Unfortunately, I don't make the rules and I am not a Cooncillor.
    I imagine there will be pressure to meet void targets. So the sooner they get folk in to empty premises the better for their stats. I think port of Leith housing association have a 28 day target to have it ready for reletting, that includes any upgrades and/or repairs, redecorating etc so it's not a lot of time.

    The flip side is, there was an article on the news last week saying the length of time families are waiting to get off the homeless register is unacceptable. They have just announced new targets to reduce this to something like 2 weeks, so you can begin to understand the pressure councils are under to get by the homes back and ready for the next tenants.

  13. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by HUTCHYHIBBY View Post
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    That's been done on numerous occasions.

    Maybe you need to try another of his tactics and get a gun.
    😂
    Last edited by beensaidbefore; 15-02-2017 at 06:13 PM.

  14. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Hibrandenburg View Post
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    Playing devil's advocate here, but every house that gets filled quickly means that potentially another homeless person is off the street.
    Beat me to it😉

  15. #14
    @hibs.net private member bingo70's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hibrandenburg View Post
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    Playing devil's advocate here, but every house that gets filled quickly means that potentially another homeless person is off the street.
    Without wanting to open a can of worms it's not really true.

    Homelessness is a terrible issue but the root cause isn't that there isn't enough roofs for people, imo it's that people that end up on the streets aren't capable of maintaining a household, whether that be due to addiction or whatever.

    Simply put, anyone presenting themselves homeless at the council today will be given a short term solution to keep them off the street.

  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by bingo70 View Post
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    Without wanting to open a can of worms it's not really true.

    Homelessness is a terrible issue but the root cause isn't that there isn't enough roofs for people, imo it's that people that end up on the streets aren't capable of maintaining a household, whether that be due to addiction or whatever.

    Simply put, anyone presenting themselves homeless at the council today will be given a short term solution to keep them off the street.
    There is some truth in what you say, but having been placed for 9 months at a homeless unit whilst at uni, I can say for definite that not everyone passing through homeless services are unable to manage a tenancy. Some of the guys I worked with had left the family home and were poorly paid so couldn't afford rent. Some were just out of prison. There was a boy of 16 who had been chucked out by his mum's new boyfriend.

    Homelessness is not just being without a roof over your head. It is not having a place to call home. There are plenty homeless people living in B&Bs who are basically v ucked out on the street every day and told they must be home by a certain time or get locked out. Whilst I understand the practicalities of it, that is no way for someone to live indefinitely.

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    @hibs.net private member bingo70's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beensaidbefore View Post
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    There is some truth in what you say, but having been placed for 9 months at a homeless unit whilst at uni, I can say for definite that not everyone passing through homeless services are unable to manage a tenancy. Some of the guys I worked with had left the family home and were poorly paid so couldn't afford rent. Some were just out of prison. There was a boy of 16 who had been chucked out by his mum's new boyfriend.

    Homelessness is not just being without a roof over your head. It is not having a place to call home. There are plenty homeless people living in B&Bs who are basically v ucked out on the street every day and told they must be home by a certain time or get locked out. Whilst I understand the practicalities of it, that is no way for someone to live indefinitely.
    Fair points but I'm not sure having a speedy void process will do that much to solve the problems you've highlighted. There's a bigger picture needing looked at to try and help the type of people you've described, not just get empty property's ready quicker.

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    Private Members Prediction League Winner Hibrandenburg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bingo70 View Post
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    Without wanting to open a can of worms it's not really true.

    Homelessness is a terrible issue but the root cause isn't that there isn't enough roofs for people, imo it's that people that end up on the streets aren't capable of maintaining a household, whether that be due to addiction or whatever.

    Simply put, anyone presenting themselves homeless at the council today will be given a short term solution to keep them off the street.
    That's why I used the word potentially. I'm ex army and I know a few lads that are waiting to be housed permanently but are way down the queue because they don't tick enough boxes. Like you mentioned further down there's a whole lot of other causes but to be blunt and fair to the housing department, they need to be there for the living.

  19. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by bingo70 View Post
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    Fair points but I'm not sure having a speedy void process will do that much to solve the problems you've highlighted. There's a bigger picture needing looked at to try and help the type of people you've described, not just get empty property's ready quicker.
    I agree, we do need to have more holistic support system in place. I think that is especially important for younger people to encourage and support them to manage a tenancy, but having a secure place to call home can be an important foundation to build upon regardless of your previous circumstances.

  20. #19
    Coaching Staff HUTCHYHIBBY's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beensaidbefore View Post
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    Maybe you need to try another of his tactics and get a gun.
    😂
    I was going to be flippant and comment along those lines when you mentioned Wallace earlier but, since I think she keyed my old mans car last week I decided against it.

  21. #20
    @hibs.net private member Scouse Hibee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HUTCHYHIBBY View Post
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    I was going to be flippant and comment along those lines when you mentioned Wallace earlier but, since I think she keyed my old mans car last week I decided against it.
    Yes best to keep your method off the net,the prosecution may use it against you. ;-)

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    @hibs.net private member cabbageandribs1875's Avatar
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    i think most councils will be the same, one of my neighbours was murdered in bathgate a week before xmas just past but his house is still lying empty, i think his family were maybe given a bit leeway due to the circumstances to clear the house, he paid his rent a month in advance(like i do) can't blame the councils wanting a clearance pretty quickly after any rental prepayments are up, no tenant/s= no rent money collected
    Last edited by cabbageandribs1875; 15-02-2017 at 08:44 PM.

  23. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by cabbageandribs1875 View Post
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    i think most councils will be the same, one of my neighbours was murdered in bathgate a week before xmas just past but his house is still lying empty, i think his family were maybe given a bit leeway due to the circumstances to clear the house, he paid his rent a month in advance(like i do) can't blame the councils wanting a clearance pretty quickly after any rental prepayments are up, no tenant/s= no rent money collected
    I think you'll find that naebody wants it!!
    Probably waiting for the furore to die down before they offer it for rental.

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    Quote Originally Posted by HUTCHYHIBBY View Post
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    We've only got one council tenant in our stair, the sooner the drug dealing bitch gets evicted the better.
    This 😂😂😂

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    Quote Originally Posted by snooky View Post
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    IIRC, when my mother-in-law died 10 years ago, I'm sure the Council gave us 2 weeks to clear the place.
    BTW, that was in East Lothian. Other Councils may have different rules.
    East Lothian council are a joke

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    Quote Originally Posted by beensaidbefore View Post
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    There is some truth in what you say, but having been placed for 9 months at a homeless unit whilst at uni, I can say for definite that not everyone passing through homeless services are unable to manage a tenancy. Some of the guys I worked with had left the family home and were poorly paid so couldn't afford rent. Some were just out of prison. There was a boy of 16 who had been chucked out by his mum's new boyfriend.

    Homelessness is not just being without a roof over your head. It is not having a place to call home. There are plenty homeless people living in B&Bs who are basically v ucked out on the street every day and told they must be home by a certain time or get locked out. Whilst I understand the practicalities of it, that is no way for someone to live indefinitely.
    I have to say i am living in a b&b at the moment and they let me stay in my room all day and if i do go out they advise me to be back for 10 but they gave me a front door key just incase im late. I think it depends where you are placed

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    @hibs.net private member easty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bingo70 View Post
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    Apologies if it is heartless to ask but Id be lying if I said I wasn't a wee bit anxious about who could be put in there as we've had issues with bad neighbours before.
    Know what you mean, we got our downstairs neighbour evicted a while back, he was a ****ing nightmare, and the days/weeks between him going and someone new coming in, I just constantly wondered if we'd end up with the same kind of numpty.

    Turns out the new guy was great, it was such a relief!

  28. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by 21.5.16 View Post
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    I have to say i am living in a b&b at the moment and they let me stay in my room all day and if i do go out they advise me to be back for 10 but they gave me a front door key just incase im late. I think it depends where you are placed

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    That's nice to hear. I hope things work out for you sooner rather than later.

  29. #28
    It all depends on how much needs to be done while the property is empty. Will be cleared out and assessed by inspector as soon as possible (not sure how long families get in these instances). From there it's usually no longer than a couple of weeks for things like electrics, plumbing and kitchen to be upgraded (if needed). Then keys will be given to new tenant pretty soon after and they can move in at their convenience. This is all presuming it is Edinburgh cooncil you are asking about!

  30. #29
    @hibs.net private member cabbageandribs1875's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ColinNish View Post
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    I think you'll find that naebody wants it!!
    Probably waiting for the furore to die down before they offer it for rental.

    it happened outside a pub in bathgate mate, i think because it wasn't in the house itself wouldn't put people off at all, especially in the area which i am as it's pretty decent/safe etc, i can remember my sister being more excited than me when i got a house in this area, she worked with the council and was aware that it was a very popular area for would-be renters, agree with the bit in bold though, that could well be the reason

  31. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by beensaidbefore View Post
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    That's nice to hear. I hope things work out for you sooner rather than later.
    Thank you

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